


To Raise a Dhampir

by TheTurtleFromHell



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Cutesy, Diary/Journal, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, POV First Person, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, just a lot of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-02-04 10:43:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18602911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTurtleFromHell/pseuds/TheTurtleFromHell
Summary: A long time ago, a dhampir was born on a winter's night. His vampire father decided to keep a diary dedicated to his experiences in raising him.





	1. The First Half

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, so this was meant to be a one-shot, but with college and everything I'm really busy, so I decided to split it into two parts to give you guys some content sooner rather than later. I hope you enjoy it ^^ <3

**January**

* * *

 

 

January 20th, 1456 

Last night, after nine hours and forty-six minutes of active labor, our son was born. He had been born blue, nose and mouth clogged with fluids. Lisa and I managed to keep a steady head and quickly take care of the problem with suction and some light rubbing on his chest, and he let out a cry which would put some of the largest creatures of the night to shame. After removing the afterbirth and tidying up, I sat with Lisa, tears running down my cheeks as I gazed upon my son.

In all honesty, I should not care for this child. It serves no purpose, sure to be an inconvenience and burden me in many ways. If I had come across something with these traits in my castle previously, I’d have killed it for sake of convenience.

And yet despite all logic, I feel nothing but a warm, tender love for this little burden of mine, my beloved child.

 

Rambling aside he is approximately six pounds and fifteen inches long. He’s a tiny thing. After drying him off I noted light blonde curls covering his head, very similar to his mother. The few times he opened his eyes I saw bright gold, not unlike a cat’s eyes. I’m not sure where he inherited it from, though it seems to be of supernatural origin.

  


January 22nd 

I have been unable to rest for the past two days. As Lisa slept, I took watch over our son. I tried to sit at my desk, to get some work out of the way that had been piling up, and yet, I could not shake this awful feeling. I kept checking on our child as he slept soundly in his cot. Yet despite how much I checked, I still feared something might happen the moment I took my eyes off of him. I tried moving the cot next to my desk, but I still found myself unable to take my eyes off his sleeping form.  
Human babies have been known to spontaneously stop breathing in their sleep for unknown reasons… my greatest fear is that the same could happen to dhampirs.

  


January 23rd 

Things are much more difficult than I anticipated. Every time he cries I fear the worst and start shouting for Lisa. I feel so horrible seeing how tired she is, how she is unable to get a moment’s rest, but the panic that fills me is so overwhelming. I’ve never felt this torn, and the fact I am so unfamiliar with this feeling simply serves to make me more anxious. To say her toleration for both my unreasonable fear and her child’s need amazes me would be a large understatement.

  


January 29th 

Unexpected development.

At first, I thought he had managed to get ahold of something and put it in his mouth, but upon closer inspection there were two fangs pointing out from his gums.   
Understandably, Lisa has expressed concerns about breastfeeding him like this. I think I may have a solution for this, though further research is needed.

 

**February**

* * *

 

February 3rd 

After five straight days in the lab, I have successfully managed to recreate the nutritional value of a mother’s milk in the form of powder. At first, Lisa was hesitant to test it out on our child, however I think her breasts were unable to stand another session of poking and prodding and so she allowed me to demonstrate. The supplement works best when mixed with warm water, and using a rag I fed it to our son. He fussed for only a moment before the supplement hit his tongue, and he seemed to find it satisfactory. Lisa was very relieved, and I suspect if she still wasn’t adjusting to the baby’s schedule she would have jumped for joy. One thing to note, as Lisa pointed out, is that he sucks the rag dry very quickly, and it is quite the hassle to have to pull the rag from his mouth and resoak it so often. Though it makes the feeding sessions longer, I’d prefer the trouble over hearing my wife nearly cry in pain.

  


February 4th 

This morning, Lisa went down to the lab and left me with the baby. She still hasn’t returned.

  


February 10th 

My wife is a genius. She shaped a piece of rubber like a teat and stretched it over the top of one of our test tubes, creating a replacement for the rag. She says this way, not only is it more convenient, but we can keep track of how much our baby eats and perhaps even pre-make batches of supplement.

 

Truly, she is a epitome of innovation.

  


February 15th 

Shortly after the growth of his fangs, other teeth came in. There seemed to be major discomfort during this time. He is always eating. I have concerns he may be overeating, but he never really spits up or has stomach troubles. He still does not have a stable sleep schedule. He seems to fine sleeping at whatever hour feels convenient for him, for however long it may be. In the beginning of the week he slept two days straight. Lisa, worried he may had fallen ill, picked him up to examine him, but he immediately began to wail and cry until he was put back down and promptly went back to sleep. He’s still very quiet, though this seems to be by choice as well. He has demonstrated an ability to babble and giggle at mildly amusing things like the jingling of bells or a brightly colored toy.  
  
I debated over whether or not to note this, but ~~I guess~~ there’s no harm in writing it down.   
There is this look in his eyes, like he’s constantly observing the world around him. Not just in the sense that something catches his eye, but in a way that it looks like he’s thinking, studying the world around him. He grabs my fingers and will spend a good half-hour simply staring at them, small hands moving from finger to finger, as if trying to study them. The child development books I read said babies at this age do begin to observe and mimic the world around them, but I can’t help but feel there’s something special about my own child. This may be biased, but I doubt it.   
  
I can’t wait to start teaching him all I know.

  


February 25th 

Adrian has become ill. He’s lost weight and has taken on a malnourished appearance in a matter of days. He’s lethargic and constantly crying, and no amount of milk seems to help. I even made batches with adjusted nutritional values, with no success. After extensive care and observation, Lisa and I have come to the conclusion that he needs blood. ~~I shouldn’t have been so optimistic that he wouldn’t inherit my thirs~~

We discussed animal blood for a short while, as Lisa had been able to drink both rabbit’s and goat’s blood during the pregnancy, but I’m worried.

A vampire’s diet can be just as diverse or restricted as a human’s, they can have preferences or perhaps even adverse reactions, such as gastrointestinal complications or allergies. I don’t want to expose him to animal blood at such an early age, for if anything were to happen it’d be disastrous.

Lisa would not be able to give blood so frequently and looking for volunteers is out of the question, so the decision was made that I would be the one to provide his blood.

I held him to my neck, and it seemed instinct told him what to do. His fang piercing was a bit sloppy, whether from weakness or inexperience I do not know. He suckled franticly at first, starving from the time spent without blood, but it began to slow as he drifted off to sleep, like a content child at his mother’s breast.

We will have to keep track of the amount he takes and how frequently he needs it, and see if the need tapers off or if it will be a permanent dietary requirement.

 

**March**

* * *

 

March 3rd 

We made the choice to begin introducing Adrian to others, now that he has recovered and is healthy once more. Lisa and I mutually agreed on Isaac having the honors, as we think humans will be less overwhelming than vampires. ~~I don’t trust those parasites in the slig~~

I am using the distance mirror tonight to fetch him, introductions will be done tomorrow. ~~I hope all goes well~~ It will go well, I know it.

  


March 4th 

Isaac and Adrian got along just fine. Adrian was very curious about Isaac (as he should be, he’s never seen another human besides his mother). While the adults engaged in conversation Adrian was preoccupied with studying his new acquaintance. He seemed most fascinated by Isaac’s tattoos, often touching them and then looking at his own hand, like he was trying to see if he could rub them off. When me or his mother tried to take him back, he would refuse. Thankfully Isaac didn’t seem to mind him or his curious behavior and in fact seemed amused by it (he is surprisingly good with kids). Unfortunately, there was an incident.

Adrian bit Isaac’s hand and refused to unlatch. We had Lisa holding Adrian up while I tried to carefully pry his jaws open. Lisa laughed out apologies the whole time, either at the sheer ridiculousness of it all or out of nervousness (perhaps a mix of both). Isaac was very understanding about it all and insisted no apology was needed, but the incident still upsets me.

 

~~What if he can’t belong among humans? He’s so young and yet his differences are so obvious. What if he hurts one again but more severely? What if he hurts his mother? What are we going to do about this?~~

 

I’m overthinking this.

  


March 6th 

These unpleasant thoughts are still plaguing me. I explained them to Lisa and she admitted she fears the same, but said that fear would not give us a solution, that we must hope for the best and keep doing our jobs as parents to prepare him to join the world. I agreed with her but asked what we would do if he was unable to get along with them. She said if she was able to get me to tolerate humans then she definitely can teach Adrian to get along with them. It’s hard to doubt her when she has so much confidence.

 

~~Still my fears linger~~

 

**April**

* * *

  
April 3rd   
He’s walking.   
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it. Earlier this week, he had only just begun trying to push himself up and roll over, and now he’s walking.   
  
I had been in my lab when Lisa called me from the other room, nearly shouting with excitement. I ran into the foyer to find my son supporting himself with a table as he walked along its edge, wobbling and uncoordinated at first, but the more he circled around it, the more steady and confident he became.   
Both Lisa and I found ourselves on our knees next to him, encouraging him, cheering and clapping. Then, with no prompting, he let go and began to walk to us, right into our arms. He laughed and giggled as we held him up, crying tears of joy and kissing his face.

  
Never have I been more proud.   
  


April 5th 

He called for me today, and not with cries or grunts. He had been napping in his cot as Lisa and I worked, when I heard a tiny voice call out, almost hesitantly. “Papa?”

I would have thought I had been hearing things if I hadn’t looked up and saw the same expression of surprise on Lisa’s face. Again the voice called out, and we turned to see our son standing, grabbing onto the rail for support as he bounced excitedly. Scratch my previous statement about his walking being my proudest moment, I believe this one just stole first place.

  


April 6th    
Adrian had a sudden growth spurt and is now the size and weight of the typical human one year old at twenty pounds and thirty inches. His babbles are slowly but surely turning into words, although he seems to prefer gestures to express himself, such as shaking and nodding his head.

  


April 18th 

Because he is developing so quickly and judging by the rate, Lisa and I thought it best to introduce him to semi-solid foods. Today for lunch, he sat in my lap as Lisa fed him some applesauce we had cooked earlier. At first, he kept spitting it out and sticking out his tongue, creating a mess which he made worse by smearing it with his hands. After a few spoonfuls though, he finally began to eat it, even beginning to bounce with eagerness each time his mother went to get another spoonful.  
Though my tunic suffered, progress was made.

  


April 20th 

Adrian’s activity has increased tenfold. He’s very athletic, squirms in your arms like a puppy that does not want to be held. He can climb up my cape in less than a second, and has discovered how to climb out of his crib to join us in bed in the middle of the night. Tables, bookshelves, and handrails are all just obstacles waiting to be scaled. Lisa and I had our fair share of scares of turning our backs for a moment and looking back to find him on top of something he shouldn’t be, or worse that he has crawled out of sight. It seems the more we express my displeasure about this to him, the more funny he finds it.

  


April 29th 

Today I went to market and witnessed a father tossing his child into the air. The child seemed to be enjoying it, laughing wildly, as was the father. Baffled by this, I did some research upon returning to the castle and learned human children enjoy being tossed into the air for a variety of reasons. It imparts a feeling of trust and protection for the child, and might even help to develop spatial senses. I decided when Adrian wakes up from his nap, I will try this exercise with him.

  


April 30th    
Lisa says I am no longer allowed to toss our child.

 

**May**

* * *

 

May 6th 

Unforseen problem. We have to keep a close eye on Adrian when he goes in the garden now. He has taken up habit of killing small animals. I don’t like the fact that he is putting filthy little creatures in his mouth (Who knows what diseases are on them?).

Sometimes he will come to us and present the kill as a gift, like a cat to its master (thank heaven Lisa is not a squeamish woman), and other times he will make us chase him around the castle and refuse to give up his catch. We have both learned not to ask “What is that in your mouth?”, for this will trigger a chase. The words ‘No’ and ‘Mine’ have become his favorites.

  


May 13th 

Today Lisa suggested introducing Adrian to drawing. At first I was hesitant, but she insisted encouraging creativity would do nothing but good for our child, and it would help improve his hand-eye coordination.

We gave him a large sheet of paper and some colored pastels to play around with as we worked, keeping an eye out to make sure he did not eat them. Fortunately, he used them for their intended purpose. Several times he would hold up drawings of abstract swirls and lines for our opinion on it.

  


May 20th 

Drawing has now became his favorite activity. I must admit I did not see much benefit to it at first, but it has accomplished what none of his other toys have, in that he can now sit still and not go wandering off in boredom.

My only problem now is that he has decided the walls are a much better medium than paper.

  


May 27th 

Adrian lost one of his fangs when Lisa was taking a squirrel out of his mouth. He seemed unfazed by the loss of the tooth. Two hours later it had already begun to grow back, much to our relief. A vampire can regenerate teeth, although it takes a long time and is considered embarrassing. We are unsure advanced regeneration is the case, or if he has milk teeth.

 

**June**

* * *

  


June 3rd 

Soon he will be six months old. It’s hard to believe it’s only been six months.

 

We decided to celebrate by bringing him to the beach. It was a wonderful time, Adrian enjoyed walking along the shore, collecting shells and building mountains in the sand. He had no hesitations about walking into the water, though his mother had a tight hold on his hand to prevent him from walking further than ankle-deep. The lack of fear worries me although I shouldn’t be surprised, his mother walked through a forest of impaled skeletons and banged on my front door with a list of demands.

 

~~I hope their fearlessness doesn’t get them kille~~

  


June 13th 

Another growth spurt. Over a period of three days, Adrian suddenly became fussy and refused food. He began to seek me out for blood more often than usual, so we kept him under close observation, worried about illness or physical abnormalities making themselves known. This time his growth rate was monumentally faster. At the moment he is thirty-five inches and weighs roughly thirty-two pounds, we don’t know if it will continue. His skin show stretch marks where it failed to keep up with his bone and muscle growth. Humans barely notice when they grow, and to go through two years of aging in such a relatively short period of time causes immense discomfort and pain. Nothing is able to distract him from his suffering, we can only take turns holding him in our arms as we pace the lab, whispering words of comfort that fail to take away his pain. Though he has shown advanced development and intelligence when it comes to his mind, I fear the mental toll this will take on his well being.

  


June 14th    
His growing seems to have finally stopped. While no longer in pain he is understandably exhausted. I stayed with him in bed all day while Lisa went back and forth from the lab, studying this phenomenon to try and predict the next bout of growing. The more we know about this the better.   
  
Amazingly, as I told him nonsense stories and used his toys as actors he would have the slightest bit of a smile on his face, even huff out a laugh. His resilience amaze me.

 

Perhaps we’ll make it through this alright.

  


June 16th 

Adrian is showing a desire to get out of bed. We try to keep his activity to a minimum, but it’s a losing battle.

  


June 18th 

His intelligence is advancing a bit more slowly this time. We have to practice words with him, though it still takes him less time than a human child. He’s shown he is able to string together words to ask questions or inform us about things. For example he had said ‘Mama up’ as a way to ask his mother to lift him. He's such a smart boy.

  


June 20th 

Today Adrian asked me for a ‘foot glove’. Of course I thought he was asking me to put gloves on his feet to which I tried to explain why it wouldn’t work, only to have him keep insisting for well over an hour that he needed his ‘foot gloves’. Tired of arguing I took out a pair of gloves, deciding I would just let him see for himself it was impossible, only for him to throw them back at me and beginning to cry. We were both clearly frustrated and stuck in a stalemate, with him asking for the ‘foot gloves’ and me trying to offer the gloves over and over with no success. At the end of my rope, I finally asked out loud to nobody in particular, ‘What in the name of all that is holy is a foot glove?’

Adrian, thinking the question was directed at him, stomped out of the room and returned with a doll, taking off its shoe and pointing to the sock.

 

I’ve been in the study for the past three hours with my head in my hands.

  


June 25th 

Lisa wants to move back to her home sooner than we planned. She says it’s unhealthy for Adrian to grow up with such little contact, and I must agree. Tomorrow, we will bring Adrian to the house and see how he responds. If all goes well, we will move. This is all happening so quickly.

  


June 26th 

Adrian is exploring his surroundings just as eagerly as ever, though he seems upset that he cannot freely roam the property as he did the castle. He sleeps between the two of us up in the loft, or at least sits with in my lap as Lisa sleeps. If I have to do work, we will either stay with his mother or come down in the living room to play as I work. His sleep schedule still seems to have no rhyme or reason. Vampires don’t truly sleep, we simply rest because we are too weakened by the light of day to do anything else. We don’t dream or lose any consciousness while doing this. Humans,on the other hand, require sleep. They need to rest their bodies and allow their minds to process the day, but to Adrian sleep seems like another thing to do to pass time with no observable benefits. However I keep thinking back to his growth spurts, where all he did was sleep or rest. During this time Lisa had theorized his sleep was accelerating his recovery, but we had no way to prove this, and the fact that he sleeps when there is nothing to heal doesn’t work in favor of this theory.

 

When he becomes older, I hope he is able to explain what it means to him.

  


June 28th 

We have been working on a garden in the front yard. In order to keep Adrian under control I’ve kept him in a sling on my back. Adrian shows his displeasure by loudly complaining that he wants ‘down’, followed by pulling on my hair. If this is what I have to deal with in order to keep him safe, I’ll tolerate it.

 

At night, Adrian is having difficulty adjusting. We’ve brought some of his old toys to make him feel more at home. He seems to have chosen the wolf as his desired comfort item, for he carries it everywhere with him and refuses to place it down. When he needs a bath or to eat dinner, he insists the wolf be kept in sight at all times.

  


June 30th 

It only now occurs to me how strange this all is. My wife was speaking about the lab she’d like set up in the back room as my son talked about how he wants pet chickens as the three of us sat at a simple wooden table eating a peasant’s meal, and I was only then that I suddenly felt out of place, like I didn’t belong. I didn’t understand what triggered these thought at first, why I was so suddenly confused by this life I had been building, and then it hit me.

 

I have a life.


	2. The Second Half

**July**

* * *

 

July 5th

We changed tactics in restraining Adrian, tethering him to a pole in the yard to give him a bit more space to play and entertain himself. We just have to make sure he does not accidentally get tangled in the rope (he’s done this twice already).

  
  


July 14th

He lifted an entire crate. A crate at least ten times his weight. When did he get this strength? Did something trigger this new ability or has he had it the whole time?

I need some wine.

  
  


July 15th

Today I calmed down enough to try and see how far Adrian’s strength extends. I began by asking him when he remembered being able to do something like this. He replied with ‘Always.’

If he is telling the truth, then the fact he has kept this hidden until now shows that he has great restraint.  ~~ He probably inherited that from me. ~~

He was able to lift up to three hundred pounds before fussing and refusing to do any more.

  
  


July 19th

Lisa had tried to take Adrian into the market today. She returned with him crying in his arms, and after getting him calm and laying him down for a nap, she told me she had just walked into the square when Adrian started screaming bloody murder and covering his ears. I looked for any signs of an ear infection but there were none. There are also no signs of any other illness, injury, or abnormality. When Adrian woke up I asked him what had happened, and he simply told me it was ‘too loud’. I asked Lisa about this when she returned (she had went back to the market to do the shopping) but she told me it wasn’t any noisier than usual. I’m not sure what to make of this.

  
  


July 22nd

Today, out of the blue, Lisa told me she was checking Adrian’s hearing. We already do this as part of his regular physical, but she insisted having it double checked.   
  
After she performed the procedure, she told me his results were that he had a level of hearing consistent with that of a vampire’s. We already knew this, it was never an issue, so I asked why she felt the need to have this done. She then said, ‘Vlad, his hearing may be vampiric, that doesn’t mean his ability to process is.’

Everything suddenly made sense. The market had not been any louder or busier than usual as Lisa had stated, because as a human she is used to the bustling of her fellow humans. A vampire is indeed more sensitive to these noises, but we have the mental capacity and ability to tune out noises or even focus on a specific ones. Adrian may not have this or know how to do this.

We mutually decided to just have Adrian lead us through this. He seems to know himself better than us.

  
  


July 23rd

I decided to indulge Adrian and buy him two chicks to raise. I want to teach him some responsibility, and also see if he is able to restrain his urges of hunting small animals.

He named one ‘Marigold’ and the other ‘Daffodil’, and helped me set up a small box in the corner of the living room for them to stay in. He kept wanting to hold them, but I told him they were a little frightened of their new surroundings and needed time to adjust.

 

Later, after his mother had gone to bed, he came down the stairs and placed some toys in the box. He’s such a kind child.

 

  
**August**

* * *

 

August 4th

I’ve finished building the coop for the chickens when they get bigger. Most of the garden is finished, and Lisa has gone into town to buy the last of the materials.

Aside from having to remind him to be handle the chicks carefully, Adrian seems to have no problem with his new pets. He enjoys their company very much, and has eagerly assisted in their care. This is pleasing.

  
  


August 9th

Adrian has numerous strange habits. 

He likes to be tightly wrapped in blankets, similar to how an infant would be swaddled. I wonder if this has to do with his biological age. Another thing to note is his preference to stay silent or observe from afar. The few times he does try to make conversation he is admittingly  ~~ bad i mperfect ~~ substandard at it. Lisa takes him to the traveler’s outpost instead of the market as there is less activity. I’ve accompanied them during these trips and noticed Adrian’s apprehension to join the other children in their games. When he does he has a difficult time understanding rules of games and human interaction. He seems to prefer solitude because of this, no matter encourage him to be among others. Some days he’ll sit among them and watch, other times he clings to I or his mother. 

Lisa says social skills are something he and I can work on together.

  
  


August 15th

Today we moved the chicks into the coop. Adrian asked if he could stay outside overnight to make sure they settled in alright and became hysterical when told no.

I am writing this while sitting next to the coop all night to placate my son. 

When did my life become so out of control?

  
  


August 20th

Adrian’s drawings have improved so much. Random squiggles and marks have now turned into shapes and features, barely recognizable portraits of people, animals, and landscapes. Though far from any sort of fine art, it is still enjoyable to hang them on the walls.

 

  
**September**

* * *

 

September 2nd

Adrian is showing increasing interest in helping with chores. He has no idea how to use a broom and he somehow manages to spread dust instead of wiping it, but I still like to let him think he’s doing a good job.

  
  


September 6th

Apparently, Adrian has picked up the word ‘fuck’ from hearing his mother use it sparingly in the lab.

I don’t find this one bit as hilarious as she does.

  
  


September 21st

While sitting in the garden today, I witnessed Adrian taking a cup and making several trips between the fountain and a small bed of flowers. I went over to make sure he wasn’t over watering them, only to find he was watering the rocks instead. When I asked what he was doing he began pouring water onto the hot stones and watched as it evaporated, then said to me (in an exasperated tone) that the rocks were thirsty.

 

Child logic is an interesting thing.

  
  


September 30th

Today some old friends of Lisa’s stopped by. Their names were Miriam and Robert, a brother and sister. They stayed for tea and discussed recent changes in their lives, apparently Miriam and her lover are trying to work out marriage arrangements with their parents and Robert would like to move to Targoviste because as he puts it, ‘It’s too quiet here.’

Their nephew was with them as well, a child six years of age. Adrian seemed to have a good time showing off his toys and playing games of pretend. By the end of the day, however, he seemed to get overwhelmed from all the interaction, displaying signs of agitation and exhaustion. Our guests took it as their sign to leave, and after congratulating Lisa on her marriage and child they promised to visit more often. Despite burning out towards the end, Adrian seems to have enjoyed himself, as he asked when they would visit again before going down for a nap.

 

  
**October**

* * *

 

October 8th

Found Adrian on the roof today. There was panic until then.

  
  


October 19th

Adrian is becoming slightly more social. However, I caught him and the other children all comparing their canines.

When I brought him home and tried to explain that we shouldn’t point out our differences, he became disheartened.

He needs to feel less out of place.

  
  


October 23rd

I contacted Godbrand through a distance mirror and asked (figuring he’d be the most likely out of any of the generals) if he happened to know of any other dhampir offspring. He laughed and asked me why I thought he never went back to the same place twice.

~~ I hate him so much, I hope he chokes on his own fangs. ~~

  
  


October 28th

No luck in my search. I ordered my generals to spread word of my search and contribute to it. Though I encourage Lisa’s attempts to have him live alongside humans, he needs to have a place to belong. He won’t feel that way among humans, nor with vampires.

I don’t  ~~ pray ~~ wish for things often, but every so often I find myself hoping he finds companions, and he will have them. I’ll make sure of it myself, no matter how long it takes.

 

  
**November**

* * *

 

November 12th

I was in the living room doing work last night when I heard front door opened and looked to see nothing there. Just as I went to inspect the door Adrian walked inside carrying a dead weasel that had its throat torn open. He explained to me (as I washed him and got him into new clothes before his mother woke up) that he had heard it trying to get into the coop and acted on it. I never even heard or saw him leave the house, I can’t figure out how he did it without any sign of doing so.

  
  


November 15th

It snowed today. It reminded me so much of the day he was born, when the sky looked like it was drained of its color and left grey, when trees and buildings and the landscape itself looked like it had heavy sheets of white draped over it all, leaving smooth shapeless bumps rising from the ground as the only sign they remain.

Adrian was a bit taken aback by the sight, but quickly overcame his reservations in favor of learning and exploring this strange weather like he does anything else. After bundling him up (and after Lisa said I had overdressed him and removed a few layers so he could put his arms down) we spent the day outside building snow sculptures, teaching him how to catch snowflakes on his tongue, and even had a brief snowball fight.

After going back indoors Lisa showed us how to make ‘snow cream’. The chickens were brought inside as well and made themselves comfortable on the couch with Adrian (although Lisa and I both were reluctant about it, he has a way of making us give him what he wants. This child will be spoiled rotten.)

Adrian does show signs that, like humans, the cold can be dangerous. When he came back in he was shivering and his nose and cheeks turned bright red. The amount of damage it can do is unknown. I’m not willing to find out with him.

  
  


November 29th

It’s been snowing so much lately. So much so that it takes effort to push open the front door. We’re waiting the snowstorms out in the comfort of our home, keeping trips outside to a minimum to preserve heart. Adrian has been extremely bored, even drawing became no use drew everything he could think to draw. The chickens enjoy roosting on the beams, and Adrian’s efforts to call them down have gone unnoticed. It’s like the winter saps the life out of everything.

 

  
**December**

* * *

 

December 1st

Good news, Adrian is now being entertained by books. He is familiar with them, as we read him bedtime stories and has seen us use them in our work, but it seems the thought hadn’t occurred that he could use them himself. Although he is currently more interested illustrations, and thinks of the alphabet as more of a song than symbols for language, I have faith that like everything else, progress will come quickly.

  
  


December 4th

Adrian has become quite the conversationalist despite his reserved nature around others. His curiosity is quite endearing, sometimes he’s so focused on asking questions he doesn’t hear the answers. I can’t help but laugh to myself when he repeats a question multiple times.

  
  


December 9th

I accidentally nicked Adrian with a claw. He had tripped over his own feet, I caught him a bit too roughly and left a small scratch on his upper arm. He cried more out of surprise than pain, and even though it was accidental I feel so horrible. I let Lisa disinfect the scratch, I don’t seem able to convince myself to even go near him. For all he knows his father is supposed to protect him from pain, and I’ve possibly shattered that belief. I fear this small incident could cause trust issues, perhaps traumatize him. If my actions harmed him in such a way, then I’ve failed both him and my beloved Lisa. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if that was the situation.

  
  


December 10th

It seems everything has been forgiven. Adrian asked me to play with him today.

Words fail to convey my relief.

 

December 31st

The year is almost over with, and so much has changed. It has been a year of nothing but trial and error, of learning and exploring. Two years ago if you had told me I’d have a wife and child, I’d have laughed.

Yet here I am, a pen in one hand and my son sleeping soundly in my other arm. My wife is in her lab, creating batches of medicine for a recent tuberculosis outbreak in the neighboring village. There are chickens in the house, books scattered across tables and under beds, and a pot of peasant’s stew boiling in the fireplace.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> credit to farah for lisa teaching adrian to say fuck  
> managed to get this done the day before finals. proud of myself (probably more than a normal person should be)


End file.
